


The Sinister Return

by kronette



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 04:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kronette/pseuds/kronette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I outlined this story in able to make a comic book to present to Siddig El Fadil at the first Lunch with the Doctor in 1995. The space station, DS9, is under attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sinister Return

The space station, DS9, is under attack. Two ships are in standard attack position, firing phasers at the station. One runabout was already on it's way to Bajor with non-essential personnel; the other was lifting off from DS9.

In OPS, Lieutenant Dax, Commander Sisko, Chief O'Brien, and Major Kira were trying to distract fire from the departing runabout.

"Major, fire phasers. Make sure that runabout is covered." Sisko was furious. He couldn't believe they had the nerve to fire on the station. He couldn't believe they came back.

" _Orinoko_ safely away. Incoming!" Kira had time to warn, just as a phaser blast rocked the station.

Down in the Promenade, people were running, trying to avoid falling debris. Others were running to the remaining runabout. The station was taking a beating; pieces of the support beams fell all around. The warning sirens and flashing lights did nothing to quiet the panicked DS9 deziens. Odo was trying to guide people to the designated shelters, but they were too hysterical. It was almost a mob scene.

Inside the Infirmary, Dr. Julian Bashir was frantically working on the casualties. He had called in everyone on the station with medical training to help him. He was shouting orders over the noise of the attack. "Nurse! Where is that hypospray? Antastacian, secure the sterilization field."

One of his assistants brought him the bad news: "Casualties reports coming in from all over the station," she reported sadly.

Julian wiped his forehead, sighing. "Take as many people as you need. It will be easier for you to go to them, instead of them trying to get to us. Convert one of the holosuites if you have to."

"Aye, sir," she said, and quickly gathered supplies and people. She was out of the Infirmary within minutes.

Sisko was holding his ground. He'd be damned if he would let them get away with this. He was at one of the consoles, trying to re-establish contact with the ships. "Sisko to..." when a phaser blast hit OPS, sending everyone flying to the floor. Dax made it to her feet, checking sensors. "Shields down to 62%. Returning fire." She took a quick glance around, and saw Kira rising to her feet. A brief sigh of relief escaped. "Are you OK?"

Kira was holding her head, a nasty bruise swelling on her forehead. "I'll survive. Commander..." Her voice trailed off as she saw Sisko. He hadn't moved; neither had O'Brien. She touched her console. "Kira to Infirmary. Medical team to OPS."

Dax swallowed hard, then went over to Benjamin. She knelt down to check his pulse, and saw he was still breathing, barely. She slapped her comm badge. "Dax to Bashir, HURRY!"

"I'm on my way," came the tired reply. Dr. Bashir glanced around the Infirmary. His assistants were all busy with patients. The casualties had slowed since he had sent his teams out. But now, everyone else was busy. He grabbed a Med kit and headed through the Promenade, seeing those he could be helping, all those victims...but his staff was taking care of them. He nodded in satisfaction and headed for the turbolift.

Another blast hit the station, and Kira leapt to the other console. "Losing shields. Returning fire...direct hit." The station shook again. "Kira to security. Outer hull breech on habitat ring, sections 12 through 18. Evacuate habitat ring." Dax returned to her station as Bashir rushed into OPS, straight for Sisko.

Dax was reporting, "We're losing..." when another blast brought debris down on them. "They've hit the phaser banks. Switching to photon torpedoes." Dax was calm, despite Bashir having left Sisko to look at O'Brien. She had caught the look on Julian's face as he turned away from her old friend.

The smoke was getting thick in OPS. Julian covered his mouth, stumbling his way over debris to O'Brien. "Fire suppressers off line, " Kira warned as a barrage of fire lighted the night sky.

"Dax, can you give me a hand?" Bashir shouted over the red alert sirens and blasts. He was attempting to lift the console off the trapped O'Brien. Dax made her way over, lurching from side to side as the station was bombarded. Together, they lifted the console off the Chief just as another blast rocked the station.

Dax was thrown back, half of her body dangling off the turbolift shaft. "Dax, hang on!" Bashir cried as he stumbled over to her. He was trying to reach her before she fell, but he realized he needn't have worried. She couldn't hear him anymore; her back was broken. He stared down at her, a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness overcoming him. Sisko had been bad enough; O'Brien just as bad; but Dax...He looked back at Kira, who was pounding the controls on her console, blood streaming down the side of her face. "Bloody piece of Cardassian junk!" She pounded some more, then let out a "HA! Take that!" She fired a stream of photon torpedos, destroying one ship.

"How's that for a shot, Dax?" she asked, not looking back.

"Major..." Julian began, tears welling in his eyes.

"Never mind. You're too busy," she said, her voice cracking. She wouldn't turn around.

"Who's doing this? Why are they attacking us?" Julian blindly walked over to Kira.

"The Kellerons and Telani. Well, now, just the Telani. They wanted you and O'Brien back. Incoming." Kira held on to her console, managing to stay on her feet. Bashir wasn't so lucky. "Life support minimal. Damn! External sensors down."

Bashir got to his feet, more stunned by why the station was being attacked. "Major, they're attacking this station because they want  _us_?" he asked incredulously.

Kira was busy with her console. "That's what they told us. Damn! OPS to Odo. Evacuate Upper Pylons 3 and 4...and Levels 4 through 6, sections 20 to 28. Hull breech."

She could barely hear Odo's reply through the sounds of the panicked people. "Acknowledged."

A warning bell went off, and Kira flung a Bajoran curse. "Kira to security. Intruders on the Promenade. Repeat: intruders on the Promenade."

Julian had slipped to Dax's unmanned station while Kira was busy. He looked up at that. "They're looking for me, aren't they?"

Kira checked the readouts. "It looks like they're heading for the Infirmary," she confirmed.

"Then I have to go."

Kira whipped around, just in time to see Bashir going to the transporter pad. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Major, they're after  _me_. I won't allow them to tear apart the Promenade. They might be on there way up here, for O'Brien." He carefully avoided looking in his direction. "I'm beaming over to their ship."

Kira took a step toward him. "You can't do that."

Julian gave her a steady look. "Major, they'll go on destroying this station until they have me." His voice was steady, his decision made.

"Then they will. I order you to stay here!" She was moving closer to the transporter controls.

Julian shook his head. "Overridden. As my last duty as Chief Medical Officer, I shall do no harm. 'The good of the many outweigh the good of the one,' Vulcan's say." His eyes darted to where O'Brien lay. He had a cool look in his eye as he turned to Kira and said, "It's been an honor, serving with you Major. Energize."

Kira watched him disappear as the Telani ship fired one last shot at DS9, directly at the reactors. "Hel..." Kira said, as the station destroyed itself in a dazzling light display.

***

Julian materialized in a bright flash on the Telani ship. He was directly in front of the Captain's chair. The Captain had his back to him.

"Well, well, well. Willing to sacrifice yourself to save the rest of the station?" The Telani Captain swung the chair around, a cruel smile on his face. "Too late. They're all dead," said Q.

Julian was dumbfounded. "Q, what are you doing here?" He eyed him. "And looking like a Telani?"

"Oh, sorry." He snapped his fingers, and returned to 'normal.' "Is that better?"

Julian thought he would never get used to seeing Q change like that. "Yes, much better."

"Good. Now, I have some business to discuss with you."

"Wait," Julian almost shouted. He had a desperate look in his eye as he asked, "What about the Telani? Have they stopped firing on the station?"

Q made an impatient gesture. "Is that all you care about? Your station?" He heaved a great sigh. "And I thought you were different."

Julian was getting impatient. "What are you talking about? Different from whom?"

"Why other Federation types, of course. That stuffed-shirt Picard and your equally-stuffed shirt Sisko." He regarded him with a skeptical eye and asked, "You don't throw punches, do you?"

"Not recently," Julian said dryly.

"Good. Then I picked right, for once. You see, I would have been back sooner, but I had some things that needed my immediate attention." He gave him an ingratiating smile. "I decided you were an interesting subject. You have a rudimentary charm. I like that. And I was pleased to see you in action. Not only did you kill everyone off, but you managed to stay alive yourself. I'm impressed. I honestly didn't think you had it in you."

Julian was practically seething. "Are you telling me this was all an elaborate scheme?"

Q was unperturbed. "Something like that." He looked up at Julian, and adopted a mock-sympathetic face. "Aww, are we upset? Too bad. You should be proud. Not many races have stood up to me the way yours has. And the Federation, you're the best of them all."

Julian stared at him in disbelief, then shot him a look of pure fury. "I don't  _care_. I only care about the station."

"Don't look at me like that. I'll bring everyone back." He snapped his fingers, and they returned to DS9, where Dax, Kira, Sisko, and O'Brien were lying on the floor of OPS. "There. Happy?" Q lounged on the center console.

Julian grabbed a tricorder and checked their vital signs. "Readings normal. Then why are they unconscious?" he turned an accusing eye toward Q.

Q tried to look apologetic. "Sorry. I didn't want them waking up and finding me here. Especially Sisko," he nodded in his general direction.

After reassuring himself that everyone was fine, Julian turned to Q, an innocent look of questioning on his face. "Tell me, Q, why bother with me? I'm just a lowly doctor."

Q waved a hand, and they are now in Sisko's office; Q behind the desk, Julian opposite him. "Well, Doctor, at first I wasn't going to bother. But then something intrigued me. You're always eager to please, willing to charm your way out of any situation. I felt a kindred spirit in you, Doctor Bashir."

Julian thought fast. "Please call me Julian," he smiled, but with a devilish look in his eyes.

"Happy to, Julian." Q smiled fondly at Julian, if that was possible. "I knew I was right in picking you. You're kind to me. You don't treat me rudely, like the others." His face scowled for a moment, then dissolved into remembrance. "I see you as myself, many, many millennia ago. I wanted to relieve my childhood, I guess."

"I  _see_." Julian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"And I wanted an answer to a question. I hope you have it." Q leaned forward, clasping his hands. "I want to understand why no one likes you."

"What do you mean, 'no one likes me'?" mock astonishment coloring his features. "I'm the most likable person on this station!" Julian was willing to play if Q was.

"Oh, contraire, Julian. I've noticed it many times. Most people, especially women, shy away from you. When they see you coming, they head in the opposite direction. Even Chief O'Brien would rather have a tooth pulled than be in the same room as you." Q leaned closer. "Do you know why?"

Julian tried to look hurt, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well, I  _may_ have just figured it out."

Q leaned back in satisfaction. "Wonderful. I knew I could count on you, Julian." He smiled that ingratiating smile again.

Julian's eyes twinkled with devilment and his smile turned viscous. "I act like you, Q," he said in his most charming voice.

"WHAT?" thundered Q.

Julian tried to calm him down, sort of. "Q! You just said yourself, we're a lot alike. You even likened me to yourself at a young age. Well, since you've been on bad terms with the Federation, no wonder people don't like me." Julian sat back, watching Q go from mad to just plain furious.

Q seethed for a moment, then settled back down. "I guess what you're saying is that they don't like you because they don't like me. Well, I can change." He gave Julian a knowing smile, adding, "But I doubt you can."

"Never underestimate a human, Q. We may surprise you," Julian informed him, merriment in his voice.

Q shot him a suspicious look, then shrugged. "You haven't yet. I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I have an appointment with a Packled freighter." He fixed Julian with an artificial smile. "It's been very enlightening, Julian."

Julian's voice dripped with charm. "Feel free to come back anytime, Q."

Q was, to say the least, astonished. "You wouldn't mind me coming back?" he asked unbelievingly.

"Of course not." Julian's smile turned evil. "I'd love to find out  _exactly_ what you're made of."

They stared at each other, the double meaning understood. "Well, I can tell where I'm not wanted. Oh, and if you ever need me...? Tough." Q snapped his fingers, and was gone.

Julian breathed a sigh of relief and went to check on his friends. They were all starting to wake up, holding their heads.

"What happened? The last thing I remember, we were being hailed by..." Dax's voice drifted off as her memory faded. "I can't remember."

"Don't worry about it. I took care of everything." He helped everyone to their feet. "I'd like all of you to get some rest. You'll feel better after a few hours sleep."

"Doctor, I want to know what happened here." Sisko shook his head to clear it.

"I'll tell you, _after_ you've had a chance to rest, sir." He smiled to himself, gently steering everyone to the turbolift.

Julian tried to move Sisko, but he wasn't budging. "Doctor, I have a responsibility to this station. I need to know what happened."

Julian sighed, "Sir, I didn't want to have to do this, but...as Chief Medical Officer, I order you to bed." He fixed him with a solid, don't-talk-back-to-me look.

"Doctor," Sisko began threateningly, but it broke off into a sigh. "Yes, sir."

Julian smiled and extended an arm to him. When Sisko finally stepped onto the turbolift, he hopped on. "Habitat ring," Julian instructed with a secret smile on his face as the turbolift sank below the floor.

The End


End file.
